INTERNATIONAL: The existence of more than 25 U.S.-funded bio-labs in Ukraine is an "undeniable fact" and the U.S. authorities should take "immediate action" to secure these facilities to prevent disaster, Tulsi Gabbard, former member of the House of Representatives has claimed on Monday.
Tulsi Gabbard, who stood as a Democratic candidate for the 2020 presidential election, listed six points of evidence which she has said proved the existence of such biolabs in Ukraine on her Twitter account on Monday.
Firstly, she has said that Victoria Nuland, Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, has acknowledged the existence of such labs containing dangerous pathogens in her testimony to the U.S. Senate on March 8.
Secondly, Gabbard has posted that the U.S. Defense Ministry acknowledged in a document released on Friday that the country has invested over $200 million USD in Ukraine since 2005, supporting 46 Ukrainian laboratories and other relevant health facilities.
Third, she has referenced a report by Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) correspondent David Martin, who has said that a Pentagon official told him the military are concerned about the existence of such laboratories in Ukraine. The United States might be blamed for its support if Russia were to acquire the pathogens and turn them into biological weapons, the official allegedly revealed.
Fourth, Gabbard has noted when refuting Russian accusations in April 2020, the U.S. Embassy in Ukraine acknowledged that there are biological labs funded by the U.S. in Ukraine "working with pathogens for vaccine and other peaceful purposes".
Fifth, Gabbard has quoted a line published by the Cable News Network (CNN) on its fact-check web-pages on Thursday that "there are U.S.-funded bio-labs in Ukraine, that much is true."
Six, Gabbard has said the Department of Defense (DoD) acknowledged that two bio-labs upgraded by the Biological Threat Reduction Program (BTRP) in 2014, a DoD scheme, had fallen into Russian hands with Ukraine continuing to be denied access to these facilities.
Gabbard's comments has created an internet storm, with many tweet replies claiming that the U.S. government is looking to cover up the issue. One suggested that the U.S. along with NATO are using the Ukrainian people as cannon fodder, similar to what they did in Syria.
Another Twitter user even raised parallels with the 2003 U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, posting a photo of former U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell laying out "evidence" of Iraqi weapons of mass destruction, which turned out not to exist.
